Kallis, Amla steady South African innings

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 01:29 PM

Nagpur, Feb 6 (IANS) Zaheer Khan gave India a rousing start, removing South African openers in a ferocious opening spell, before the visitors recovered through Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla to reach 90 for two at lunch on the first day of the first cricket Test here Saturday.

Electing to bat, South Africa were reduced to six for two. But Kallis dropped anchor, scoring an unbeaten 55, while Amla gave him support with a patient 24 to pull their side out of trouble.

Plagued by injuries at the start of the match, India received another blow in the morning when Rohit Sharma, named as back-up to the injured V.V.S. Laxman, hurt his ankle in the warm up session.

That paved the way for Bengal's wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha to make his Test debut. Tamil Nadu's Subramaniam Badrinath, who has been on the fringes for some years, was the other debutant for India.

Karnataka's Murali Vijay, who has done well whenever he got a chance, will bat at number three.

It will be a completely new Indian middle order with no Rahul Dravid, Laxman and Yuvraj Singh, who are all sitting out with injuries.

Zaheer livened up the proceedings with a lethal spell (6-4-2-2). The left arm seamer extracted pace, bounce and movement from the first day's wicket.

He got his reward in the fifth over of the day when Ashwell Price, surprised by a well-directed bouncer, played unsteadily and gave a catch behind the stumps. Though Prince was a touch unlucky as cameras later revealed that the ball reared up after brushing his arm guard.

South African captain Graeme Smith was clearly not comfortable facing Zaheer, who mixed his deliveries well.

Zaheer enjoys a good success rate against Smith and dismissed the in-form batsman with an excellent delivery that cut back a shade and crashed into the left-hander's stumps.

Veteran Kallis led the rescue act, buying his time in the middle to settle down. Amla provided him support at the other end.

Kallis remained unbeaten on 55 off 81 balls with six fours and one six. Amla's 24 came off 57 ball with two fours.

Source: Web Search

Portsmouth coach's palour owner flees to Thailand

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 01:25 PM

London, Feb.6 (ANI): The brothel madam at the centre of soccer boss Avram Grant's massage shame has fled Britain.

According to The Sun, Juthaporn Phoothaworn, who ran the seedy Thai Siam parlour where Portsmouth manager Grant, 54, indulged himself with steamy sessions, flew to Thailand on Wednesday with her businessman husband Leslie Collier, 63.

The couple run a string of operations, including grubby vice den Unit 1 in Eastleigh, Hants, which Israeli Grant visited twice in two months.

Collier, who owns a number of companies, married Thai-born Phoothaworn in June 2004. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Defoe sponsoring a three-year-old orphan in South Africa

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 01:19 PM

London, Feb 6(ANI): England striker Jermain Defoe has revealed that he is sponsoring a three-year-old orphan Lerato in Rustenberg, South Africa through a regular donation to a children's charity.

Defoe, who has not met Lerato till now, will be taking time out from England's quest to lift the World Cup and meet her for the first time, which he knows will be a heart-rending and emotional encounter.

"I have been showing her picture to everyone and they are all saying how cute she is. I'm really looking forward to going to visit her in South Africa in the summer. Maybe it will be a special day for her, but I know it will definitely be special for me," The Sun quoted Defoe, as saying.

The 27-year-old said he thinks it is important to get involved in things like the charity to help people who are struggling and suffering to have a normal life.

"I just can't imagine growing up without my mum and my grandparents. I honestly don't know how I would have coped. They gave me so much love, help and so many opportunities and always told me to appreciate how lucky I was," Defoe said.

"And I have certainly been lucky in life. I always wanted to be a footballer and here I am living the dream and with all the trappings. And to realise that, for many people, it is hard out there," he added.

Defoe further believes that many people in United Kingdom could follow that lead.

"There's a lot of people in this country enjoying a good life and endless opportunities - yet we forget what we have sometimes. We get wrapped up with things that are not really that important and just can't see what's going on elsewhere in the world. There are people really struggling and we should all do what we can to help," Defoe said.

"It definitely means a lot to me to be involved with this - I'm putting something in, but also getting a whole lot out of it, too. It helps keep my feet on the ground, it gives me a focus outside of football and I'm proud that I am doing some good for someone, somewhere. That I'm helping take care of an orphan," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

PCB chief Butt urges selectors to focus more on U-19 cricketers

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 01:09 PM

Lahore, Feb.6 (ANI): Admitting to flaws in the whole cricket set-up of the country, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has urged the selectors to prepare a solid ground for under-19 cricketers, who have performed brilliantly in the recent past.

Pakistan's junior team reached the final of the recently concluded ICC U-19 World Cup, but was defeated by Australia.

Addressing a reception held in honour of the Pakistan U-19 team here, Butt said several young cricketers have been wasted in the pasted, a issue which must be addressed seriously by the administrators.

"Our Juniors have been performing well at this level but it was bad luck for them to not be able to reach the national team as they were lost somewhere on the way in the absence of a proper plan or programme for them. But I will now advise the selectors to keep a vigilant eye on this fresh lot," Butt said.

He hit out at former Pakistan cricketers who have shown less interest in training young talented players, rather always run after assignment with the senior team.

Butt said former Pakistani Test players should learn from Australian great Greg Chappell, who focuses more young guns.

"Chappell loves to work with upcoming talent as he did when he joined the Indian national team as coach but his emphasis was more on juniors," The Dawn quoted Butt, as saying.(ANI)

Source: Web Search

New England skipper too has his fair share of scandals

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 12:56 PM

London, Feb. 6 (ANI): Rio Ferdinand, who is succeeding John Terry as England captain, has a far from a squeaky clean image craved by fans, as he has been involved in more than his fair share of football scandals.

Six years ago, the 31-year-old was banned from playing for eight months and fined 50,000 pounds after missing a drugs test at Manchester United's training ground.

As a result, he missed the 2004 European Championship finals. The defender's excuse was that he had forgotten and gone shopping instead, the Daily Express reports.

Ferdinand, known for his love of fast cars, was dropped from the England set-up in 1997 at the age of just 18 because of a drink-driving charge.

In 2005 he received his fourth driving ban after overtaking a police car at 105mph.

Two years ago, he provoked the wrath of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for organising a drunken Christmas party.

The 400-pounds-a-head celebration at a leading Manchester hotel ended with his team-mate Jonny Evans being arrested, then cleared, of rape allegations.

During that rendezvous, dozens of women were specially brought in by bus for the evening and later complained they were "treated like pieces of meat".

Ferdinand is currently serving a four-match ban after the FA found him guilty of elbowing Hull's Craig Fagan. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

SA fight back after Zaheer's twin strikes

Published>Sat, Feb 06 10 12:40 PM

Electing to bat, South Africa were 90 for two in their first innings at lunch on day one of the first cricket Test against India here on Saturday.

Jacques Kallis (55) and Hashim Amla (24) were at the crease for the visitors.

Brief Score:

South Africa 1st innings: 90 for two in 29 overs. (J Kallis batting 55, H Amla batting 24; Zaheer Khan 2/15).

Source: Web Search

South Africa v Indian first test scoreboard - lunch

Published Sat, Feb 06 10 12:30 PM

REUTERS - Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the first test between South Africa and India at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, India, on Saturday.

South Africa first innings

G. Smith b Zaheer 6

A. Prince c Dhoni b Zaheer 0

H. Amla not out 24

J. Kallis not out 55

Extras (b-4 lb 1) 5

Total (for two wkts; 29 overs) 90

Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-6

To bat: AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell.

India bowling: Zaheer 9-4-15-2, Ishant 6-0-17-0, Harbhajan 8-0-35-0, Mishra 6-0-18-0.

India: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha.

Source: Web Search